James Roberts (British athlete)

{{Infobox volleyball biography

| name = James Roberts
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}}}

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = James Penry Roberts

| nationality = Great Britain

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|5|11|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| position = UN

| currentnumber = 11

| height =

| weight=

| years1 = 2012

| team1 = FDSW Celtic Dragons

| nationalyears = 2012

| nationalteam = {{flagicon|Great Britain}} Great Britain sitting volleyball team

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

}}

James Roberts (born 11 May 1986 in Mons, Belgium) is a wheelchair basketball player and Paralympic athlete based in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7495363.stm BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Disability sport | Rowers target Paralympic success][http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25052011/58/london-2012-roberts-targets-world-cup.html London 2012 - Roberts targets World Cup - Yahoo! Eurosport][http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/rowing/8111175.stm BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Rowing | Adaptive rowers win three golds][http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/woman/runher/paralympian-karen-rows-in-for-big-runher-event-28496852.html Paralympian Karen rows in for big Runher event - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk][http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/6966338.stm BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Disability Sport | GB crews advance to semi-finals][https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rowing-west-and-banks-guide-british-eight-into-final-401063.html Rowing: West and Banks guide British eight into final - More Sports - Sport - The Independent][https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/rowing/5590033/Tom-Aggar-dominates-adaptive-racing-and-Grainger-reclaims-her-pride.html Tom Aggar dominates adaptive racing, and Grainger reclaims her pride - Telegraph] Roberts was born with a disability called femoral dysplasia. He started out in his sporting career as a swimmer, and progressed on to other Paralympic sports, such as rowing and sitting volleyball.

He competed for Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, finishing fifth in the trunk and arm classification in adaptive rowing. He also competed for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, finishing 8th in the sitting volleyball. More recently he has begun playing wheelchair basketball for local side Rhyl Raptors.

Early years and education

Roberts was born on 11 May 1986 in Mons, Belgium. He attended the SHAPE American High School and graduated in 2005. After taking up his place at Swansea University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in sport and exercise science, he graduated with a second-class honours degree in summer 2010. In September 2011 Roberts embarked on postgraduate studies in sociology of sport and exercise at the University of Chester, subsequently graduating with a Postgraduate Certificate.

Tokyo Paralympics

In 2021, Roberts was part of the Great Britain team that took wheelchair rugby gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.{{cite web |title=Wheelchair Rugby Results Book |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/resPG2020-/pdf/PG2020-/WRU/PG2020-_WRU_B99_WRU-------------------------------.pdf |website=Tokyo 2020 |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831132149/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/resPG2020-/pdf/PG2020-/WRU/PG2020-_WRU_B99_WRU-------------------------------.pdf |archive-date=31 August 2021 |url-status=dead}} He was subsequently appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to wheelchair rugby.{{London Gazette|issue=63571|supp=y|page=N24|date=1 January 2022}}